The Truth Beneath The Rose
by Miss M Cricket
Summary: Zevran finds Alistair's Rose and hijinks ensue.


**The Truth Beneath The Rose**

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><p><strong>Title: The Truth Beneath The Rose<strong>  
><strong>Author: miss_m_cricket<strong>  
><strong>Fandom: Dragon Age: Origins<strong>  
><strong>Pairing: AlistairZevran, Alistair/Female!Warden**  
><strong>Rating: PG-13<strong>  
><strong>Prompt: For nadilee who asked for Zevran finding the Rose and hijinks ensuing.<strong>

**Summary: _The man's face screwed up in disgust but before any whinging could begin Zevran murmured, "This is the best way to learn."_**

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><p><strong><span>The Truth Beneath The Rose<span>**

"Alistair?"

Alistair looked up from his perch on a log, where he had set up shop to clean and polish his armour, not to mention sharpen his weapons. For a moment his chest clenched wondering if it was the Warden, come to talk to him, but then his mind placed the voice, even as his eyes lifted to fix on the handsome face of Zevran.

The assassin.

"Yeah what now?" Alistair asked, putting down the mail with a sigh.

"Now how is that a welcoming greeting between comrades in arms?" Zevran's voice seemed to have a layer of sardonic mocking attached to it, along with another one for sexual innuendo. He didn't need to crack dirty jokes, his voice did it all for him.

Even that thought made the Templar's cheeks burn, and he saw the elf's eyebrow quirk in response. Dammit.

"What do you want Zevran, I'm very busy."

"Well you see my dear friend Alistair." Zevran purred, a catlike smile spreading over his mouth, "I was rummaging in your pack earlier..."

"What?" Alistair yelped, almost falling off his perch, "That...that is my personal affects in there! My clothes, my underwear!"

"Do not worry." The blond elf snickered, "Your extremely conventional underwear holds absolutely no interest for me. Did they give you those in the Chantry?"

"That...that is absolutely none of your business, but as a matter of fact yes they did."

"Mmm yes I can see why they are celibate in garments such as those," As Alistair spluttered, Zevran grinned once more, "You can practically make a cloak out of them."

"Did you seriously come over here to mock me about my underwear?" Alistair hissed, hoping that his fellow Grey Warden wouldn't overhear this and fall about laughing at him.

"No actually, this was merely just a very amusing bonus." The assassin bent over to look the bemused former Templar-in-training in the eye, "I was rummaging in your pack and I found...this."

And to Alistair's horror the elf whipped out the beautiful rose from Lothering, still preserved from the care shown to it.

"Maker preserve us..."

"Now I had to wonder why you would be carrying around such a thing. We are fighting Darkspawn, not building a garden. And watching you I have found the conclusion."

"And what is that, oh wise and gracious one?"

Zevran grinned.

"You are in love with our fearless leader over there!"

The man groaned and dropped his head into his hands. "No, no I'm not."

"Oh yes you are. Admit you have been carrying this rose for her."

"And so what if I have!"

"Why Alistair that is romantic!" Zevran patted the other male's shoulder, "All ladies love pretty things like flowers, even her."

Both their eyes trailed over to the female leader of the party, who was presently playing with the mabari in the mud. She looked filthy.

"Perhaps not this exact moment." Zevran allowed grudgingly, smiling as Alistair snickered, "But there will come a time, and you will give it to her yes?"

"I did consider it..."

"Of course you did."

"But I wouldn't know what to say..."

"Well what have you thought to say so far..?" Zevran asked, perching himself down on the log attentively.

"Erm...milady, take this rose as a token of my affections..."

"No..." Zevran rolled his almond shaped eyes, "My dear Alistair, she is not some demure little mouse, waiting for her father to make an advantageous match. Nor is she a lady waiting for you to duel for her honour..."

"I think she'd stab me somewhere painful if I tried to treat her like that..." Alistair said, wincing slightly, "So...what do you think I should say?"

"Well, why are you contemplating giving her this rose, why this particular rose, why now? After all we aren't exactly ambling along smelling the flowers, we are racing a darkspawn invasion! Why a rose?"

Alistair thought and licked his lips.

"I picked this flower in Lothering, when she, Morrigan and I stopped there. It was just...this beautiful perfect thing amongst all the desperate refugees, the people begging, the despair. So I picked it, not wanting to leave it for the Darkspawn to taint and destroy it. In a way it's like her, something beautiful and shining amongst all this...mess."

There was silence.

He glanced at Zevran and was surprised to see the elf looking a little misty eyed.

"Even though I was raised among Antivan whores, I still have the soul of a romantic. Alistair if you tell her that story, I can guarantee you will make great inroads there."

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><p>A few days later Zevran was sitting on a treestump on the edge of the campsite when a voice hissed, "Zevran!" and a hand yanked him, flailing, into the brush.<p>

"Alistair..." The blond elf said dryly, plucking a leaf from his hair, "You know I appreciate our little talks but I would rather you didn't yank me into the bushes next time?"

"Sorry," the man looked abashed, "I didn't mean to really..."

"It does not matter, what is it you wanted to talk to me about friend Alistair?"

"I gave her the rose." Alistair said, taking a deep breath, "And it went great...but then, at the end of the conversation she tried to kiss me and I blanked. It was the worst kiss ever!"

Zevran suppressed a grin at the mortification oozing from the other man, "Have you talked to her since?"

"Of course, but we haven't...we are going to talk tonight but..." he grabbed the elf's arm, "How in Andraste's name are you supposed to kiss?"

"That Chantry really has a lot to answer for." Zevran sighed, after he managed to wrest down any stray sounds that may have sounded like laughter. "Alright Alistair, sit still. This is how you begin. Close your eyes."

And he leant in, pressing a light kiss to Alistair's bottom lip.

The man's face screwed up in disgust but before any whinging could begin Zevran murmured, "This is the best way to learn."

"I don't bend that way,"

"I am aware."

"You do!"

"Naturally."

Alistair had nothing to say to that but when Zevran kissed him again he did not object, merely memorised the sensation. They progressed on until they were kissing passionately, bodies flush against one another.

And the mabari barked nearby.

Alistair skittered back. Zevran fixed his tunic.

"I think you have got the hang of it."

"Great. Thanks." Alistair sounded dazed but he clambered gracelessly to his feet, "See you round."

Zevran stayed in the bushes, watching until he saw Alistair and the lady warden softly kissing by the fire, sometime later.

Then he plucked a rose from the bush beside him and whistling happily wandered off to rummage through Morrigan's pack next.


End file.
